It lost a seat in Katesgrove, but brought the whole of Battle and Minster wards back into the Labour fold by winning one seat from the Tories and another from the renegade Labour-turned-independent member Tony Jones who did not stand this year.

The Conservatives lost the Minister ward seat, leaving the party with 17 seats overall.

The Liberal Democrats gained a seat in Katesgrove from Labour, consolidating their hold on that ward with three Lib Dem councillors.

Rob White – having stood in every election since 2004 – finally won Park ward from Labour for the Green Party.

Leader of the council Jo Lovelock said: “It is a tremendous result for the Labour party in Reading given what has been happening nationally. Labour remains the largest party and it means that services in our town will be protected.”

She said losing the seat in Katesgrove was “a disappointment”.

Andrew Cumpsty, leader of the Conservative group said: “It is a very interesting result. One important factor was the fact that the postal votes (for the borough elections) went out immediately after the first leaders’ debate and I thought at the time it would not be good for us.

“The two Conservatives, of course, did extremely well in the General Election in Reading East and Reading West.”

Referring to the loss of the seat in Minster, he said in 2006 when Tories won the seat from Labour the party was 12 points ahead in the polls so it would be difficult in the present climate to win it again.

“The Conservatives went backwards and the Labour party stayed the same. So it was a good result for us. We also increased our vote in a number of wards.

“We did very well to come second in Reading East in the General Election and Daisy [Benson] did very well doubling our vote in Reading West, especially considering the short time she had been the candidate.”

Some of the new faces on the council were thrilled to have won.

Labour’s Sarah-Jane Hacker, 31, joined her father Councillor Chris Maskell in Battle ward. Mrs Hacker’s two-year-old son Isaac was with her at the count and she is expecting another baby in four months’ time.